UK Digital Bank Redwood Hires Executive to Expand Lending

Founded in 2017, UK digital challenger Redwood Bank specializes in flexible business loans for small and medium-sized enterprises. As traditional financial institutions scale back branch networks, emerging digital banks are pursuing localized strategies to capture regional markets. That makes regional credit strategies and hiring crucial indicators of shifting competition in the UK’s SME lending market.

Redwood Bank said in June 2026 that it had appointed Chris Butler, who has more than 19 years of financial-sector experience, as regional development manager. He will take full responsibility for lending across North East England and Yorkshire, with an initial focus on growing the local business loan book and strengthening relationships with regional finance brokers. The appointment marks a new phase in the bank’s expansion in the UK’s regional commercial lending market.